But Rampell says he hopes the event will help people realize that starting a company is not for everyone.
"There's a great possibility for reward, but also for risk," he says. "You have to be willing to take the risk."
And OCS organizers say they are optimistic that this event and similar ones in the future will help educate students about what it takes to be entrepreneurs--including the inherent risk involved.
But risk, according to Cohen, is one of the things with which Harvard students deal best.
"Start-ups are reflective of the Harvard personality," he said. Harvard students are "people who have initiative and are not afraid to make mistakes."
A list of the 30 firms participating in today's start-up event is available on the OCS website at www.ocs.fas.harvard.edu/html/startup.